In 1994 social documentary photographer Sebastião Salgado took over family land in Minas Gerais, Brazil. But instead of the tropical paradise he remembered as a child, the trees were cut down and there were no wild animals left. This combined with his last assignment - reporting on the genocide in Rwanda - left him devastated.

His wife came up with an idea - why not recruit partners, raise funds and restore the forest? And so they did.

Now, about two decades later, the results of their long and hard work are evident. Almost 3 million trees have completely transformed the environment.

Many species found a home in the new Salgado forest. Of the 127 bird species identified, six are endangered. There are also 33 species of mammals, two of which are endangered worldwide, 15 species of amphibians, 15 species of reptiles and 293 species of plants.

Even after their success, the Salgado’s aren’t planning to stop any time soon. Their next goal is to increase the number of plant and animal species beyond their land and increase biodiversity in the region around it.